Saturday, January 29, 2005

Freeware - Wikibooks

Freeware - Wikibooks

Freeware sources.

Grad School Letters Of Recommendation

Grad School Letters Of Recommendation

how to write letters of rec

eLearn Magazine: In-Depth Tutorials

eLearn Magazine: In-Depth Tutorials

"One possibility is a system of hierarchical peer-reviewed group assignments developed by David Hanson and Troy Wolfskill (Borman & Washington, 2003; Wolfskill, 1998) as an online component in face-to-face chemistry courses. For problem-solving assignments with multiple solutions, students are put into groups of five. Once every student in the group submits a possible solution, the group then discusses and selects the best one, finally submitting it to the whole class. The online environment is "hard-wired" so no student can participate in the group discussion without first submitting an individual assignment. Once every group has submitted their solution, the whole class, including instructor, discusses the group solutions and selects several as outstanding."

a possible solution.

Carl Soundboard - Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Brad Parker

Carl Soundboard - Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Brad Parker

The might Carl from Aqua Teen with sound bytes from Brad Parker. Hey, have a crappy weekend, hope yer house burns down.

Product Reviews by MetaEfficient

Product Reviews by MetaEfficient

what a great website.

Computer Microscope: QX5: by MetaEfficient

Computer Microscope: QX5: by MetaEfficient

Science teachers check it out.

VoIP Internet Phone Service: by MetaEfficient

VoIP Internet Phone Service: by MetaEfficient

Bring it on! The age of telephony is upon us. Every mobile technology is converging on the telephone. Damn!

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Hackers and Painters

Hackers and Painters: "What hackers and painters have in common is that they're both makers. Along with composers, architects, and writers, what hackers and painters are trying to do is make good things. They're not doing research per se, though if in the course of trying to make good things they discover some new technique, so much the better."

Paul Graham smashes through the artificially sharp edges of academic discipline and makes the observation that bits and bytes are just another medium more akin to tempera and clay and stone than numbers. This essay reminds me of how when you first use a Coleman lantern you have to burn the mantle to expose the bright burnable skeleton underneath. Burn, baby, burn!

Orcinus

Orcinus: "SpongeBob is just a caricature. For Dobson and Co., he's a handy symbol -- not of gays, but the mere concept of tolerating them. And when we no longer have to tolerate gays and lesbians on the basis of religious beliefs, it will only be another half-step before we no longer have to tolerate non-Christians on the basis of religious beliefs. Muslims or Jews: take your pick as to who will be first in line. I'd guess Muslims."

Amen to this. It is a damned slippery slope that Dobson would push us down. At its bottom is a damn sure nasty surprise.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

CNN.com - Poll: Nation split on Bush as uniter or divider - Jan 19, 2005

CNN.com - Poll: Nation split on Bush as uniter or divider - Jan 19, 2005


This would be funny as an exercise in meta-journalism and irony in The Onion, but is simply a testimony to the idiocy of CNN and their ilk.

Folkways Smithsonian

Folkways Smithsonian

What a great site! Plus a stream of existing recordings.

YouSendIt | Email large files quickly, securely, and easily!

YouSendIt | Email large files quickly, securely, and easily!: "Select File to Send (Up to 1 GB):


"

Another file sending/sharing program that looks useful at least a few times a year. Could have used it yesterday.

TypeBlaster - Download TypeBlaster from Teaching Tools category

TypeBlaster - Download TypeBlaster from Teaching Tools category: "TypeBlaster"

I need a program like this to get better at typing. I am so poor even though I use all my fingers. Sigh. OK. I will give it a try and do the Ben Franklin improvement thing.

Monday, January 17, 2005

Yahoo! News - Demand for KFC Soaring in China

We may not be very good at exporting democracy, but damn we can sure spread the gospel of fast food. Spooky.


Yahoo! News - Demand for KFC Soaring in China: "China's relentless appetite for the colonel's chicken has KFC on a building boom in the world's most populous country, with 1,200 locations, soaring profits and a menu that mixes in bamboo shoots and lotus roots."

Approximately Perfect: Social Security Day!

The Times finally gets Social Security right!

Approximately Perfect: Social Security Day!: "Social Security privatization and tax incentives for the affluent have another major drawback that endangers everyone's retirement security. Neither would add to national savings - the sum of government and individual savings that is a key determinant of the nation's overall standard of living. Privatization would not add to national savings because every dollar that goes into a private account would be offset by the government borrowing needed to establish the private system. Tax incentives for the rich do not add to national savings because they simply induce wealthy people to shift current assets from taxable to tax-free accounts.

Put more simply, with privatization and continued high-end tax breaks, the few would get richer as the many fall behind. Preserving Social Security while increasing savings outside Social Security is a better way to achieve a prosperous retirement."

The joke, however, is on our soldiers. Funny not! Posted by Hello

Approximately Perfect: Mixing it up

Approximately Perfect: Mixing it up

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Friday's commute


Friday's commute
Originally uploaded by bodhi47.
Wow! What a pic! Time to start carrying my camera.

The Free Press -- Independent News Media - National Issues

The Free Press -- Independent News Media - National Issues

In reality, the only sure way to create a bull market, and enjoy the reflected glow of approval it implies for a president, is to find a new source of funds. That’s where privatizing Social Security comes in. Create a new investment account, and the laws of physics take over. Momentum defies gravity. Remember what happened in the 1980s, when everyone, even the wealthiest taxpayer, was suddenly invited to open an I.R.A. account?

We are going to here a lot of hard sell for changing Social Security over the next few months. A conservative says, "No" a true conservative says, "Hell no!". A free thinker will sniff the bad air and say, "Fugeddaboutit!" God help us if these fools win the day. You will notice that none of the folks who want to change Social Security are actually going to need it. Follow the money, folks, and it leads straight to a Wall Street brokerage firm. It slamdunk obvious.